United States - K-Class Airship

[tbrandon517]

DB Selector

CWDB

Baseline

Aerostat

Hypothetical

No

Name

K-Class Airship (see designations below)

Country

United States

Service

Navy

In Commission

1938-1959

Number in Service

134x

Length (m)

76.73 m (K-14)

Wingspan (m)

17.63 m diameter (K-14)

Height (m)

Variable by block/model

Empty Weight (kg)

Variable by block/model

Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) (kg)

Variable by block/model

Payload Weight (kg)

Variable by block/model

Crew

10x

Propulsion

2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-2 radials , 425 hp (317 kW) each

Rate of Climb (ft/min)

Variable by block/model

Service Ceiling (ft)

14000 ft

Military/Afterburner Speed (kt)

68 kn

Cruise Speed (kt)

50 kn

Supercruise

No

Ferry Range (nm)

1,916 nm

Endurance (min)

38 hours 12 minutes

Takeoff / Landing Distance (m)

VTOL

Fuel Capacity (kg)

6000 lbs

Sensors

ASG radar
magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment. Recon cameras Searchlight Binoculars

Towed sonar fitted in some units post war

Mounts

1 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun 2x .30 (7.62) Browning machine guns optional in aft of control car

Bomb bay (2x depth charges) External Hardpoints (2x depth charges)

Loadout Options

Ferry Standard ASW - 4 × 350 lb (160 kg) AN-Mk 47 depth charges, Sonobuoys, 2x Drop tanks Maritime Patrol - 4x M-17 Bombs (500lb cluster so probably other 500 lb or smaller bombs) Mixed ASW - 2x AN-Mk-47 Depth Charges, 2x M-17 Bombs Mine hunting - Internal Guns SAR- Life Raft ASW - 2x FIDO ASW Torpedo or mk44 in the 50s Minelaying Cargo Para-drop

Late in the war, some also carried 7.2 inch anti-submarine rocket bombs.

Comms/Datalinks

UHF/VHF

Aircraft Codes

HIFR Capable, Night Navigation/Attack (Incl. Bomb, Rocket Delivery), Bombsight - Basic

Comments

Designations

ZNP-K - The original designation of the K-class blimps.

ZPK - Revised designation of the ZNP-K series from 1947.

ZP2K - A larger envelope with the volume increased to 527,000 cu ft (14,900 m3), sensors and other improvements re-designated ZSG-2 from 1954.

ZP3K - A larger envelope with the volume increased to 527,000 cu ft (14,900 m3), with systems and controls even more advanced than the ZP2Ks, re-designated ZSG-3 from 1954.

ZP4K - Delivered in 1953, retaining the 527,000 cu ft (14,900 m3) envelope volume and length of 266 ft (81.08 m), re-designated ZSG-4 in 1954. 15x units

ZP5K - Delivered in 1955, redisgnatied the ZS2G-1 in 1954 before delivery. 15x units

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-class_blimp https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/navys-lighter-than-air-experience-monograph/pre-ww-ii-blilmps-and-the-evolution-of-the-k-class-and-ww-ii-airships-and-their-operations-pages-34-46.html https://www.patriotspoint.org/news-and-events/first-practical-sonobuoy-1942/#:~:text=A%20K%2D5%20blimp%20used,NC%2C%20in%20World%20War%20II. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/airship_pilot_manual.pdf https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/airship_pilot_manual.pdf https://www.blimpinfo.com/history-2/this-mo-in-hist/this-mo-in-hist-jan/k-class-airships/ https://neam.org/pages/goodyear-znpk-28-blimp-control-car# https://lynceans.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Goodyear_N-class-blimps-converted-compressed.pdf https://laststandonzombieisland.com/tag/k-class-blimp/ https://militaryhistorynow.com/2013/10/23/the-other-silent-service-u-s-navy-airships-of-world-war-two/ https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/k-ships-vs-u-boats https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/zeppelins-hard-to-shoot-down/ https://discover.hubpages.com/education/World-War-2-History-The-Goodyear-Blimp-Goes-to-War http://lompochistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/memories-of-a-wwii-blimp-pilot.pdf https://www.theifod.com/war-blimps/ http://www.303rdbg.com/bombs.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airship (see WWII section) https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/october/blimps-versus-u-boats https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/explore/collections/aircraft/k/k-47-control-car.html https://man.fas.org/dod-101/sys/ac/asw.htm https://archive.navalsubleague.org/2010/book-reviews-forgotten-weapon-u-s-navy-airships-and-the-u-boat-war https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/navys-lighter-than-air-experience-monograph/pdfs/lta-09.pdf https://www.navairdevcen.org/PDF/THE%20EVOLUTION%20OF%20THE%20SONOBUOY.pdf https://www.naval-airships.org/wwii https://www.naval-airships.org/post-war-cold-war https://airshiphistory.com/wp/1-page-world-war-ii/ https://airshiphistory.com/wp/1-page-postwar-era/

[PygmalionOfCyprus]

Handled 499. This was a fun one. I like blimps.

[tbrandon517]

Handled 499. This was a fun one. I like blimps.

Me too. Diesel boats beware! LTA will outlast your batteries!

[tbrandon517]

Only tweaks to recommend right now is to add a spotlight to the ASW blimps. K Class flight manual above from FAA indicates on pages 103-104, 111-113 indicates a spotlight/Landing light in the electronical load chart and circuit/fuse listing. Flight manual fir the K-class indicates 55 lbs of photographic equipment so possibly add a reconnaissance camera.

I will do some more research in the postwar equipment including the Towed sonar fish if that's something potentially operable in CMO.

[PygmalionOfCyprus]

Done (500).